So today, we’re heading to the Mecca of Diverse Disney food options, Epcot!

There are literally hundreds of delicious dishes and tempting snacks to be savored throughout the park. And that makes sense, since World Showcase immerses you into the cultures of eleven different countries.

But then, there’s Future World, too. Home to great little kiosks featuring flavored popcorns as well as one of our favorite counter service spots, Sunshine Seasons, there’s plenty to enjoy there as well.

We all have our favorites, but it’s also fun to check out the NEW stuff! And so today, that’s what we’re doing. Let’s head into Epcot and arrange the day around trying brand new (or in some cases, returning items) in our DFB “Just the New Stuff” Crawl, Epcot Edition!

And if you love this crawl, be sure to check out our DFB Guide + Snacks Bundle, which you can enjoy for an unbelievable 30% off the already discounted price with code BUNDLE17 at DFBStore.com!

I hope you came hungry. Let’s go!

Cinnamon French Toast Bread Pudding, Sunshine Seasons

To kick our day off right, we should start with a good breakfast. Sure, you could grab a bowl of cereal at the resort or head to Starbucks for a muffin, but I say let’s check out Sunshine Seasons in The Land Pavilion for their Cinnamon French Toast Bread Pudding.

Cinnamon French Toast Bread Pudding at Sunshine Seasons

Is it breakfast, or is it dessert? Who cares? Because this is vacation, and you NEED to have this rich, delicious dish to jump start your day. (Oh, and to answer the question, clearly, this is breakfast. I mean, who eats bacon with dessert? 😉 ) [Read more…]

No — not really. But with this is exciting news, it kinda sorta seems like it!

Holidays Around the World at Epcot

I’ve loved the holiday eats, drinks, and treats that you can get during a cozy winter visit to Epcot during Holidays Around the World. In addition to enchanting stories of winter time celebrations from all over the globe, guests have also indulged in holiday specialties, like Buche de Noel in France and Sweet Tamales in Mexico. And it’s not Christmas without at least one serving of Glühwein in Germany! [Read more…]

This post is part of the DFB #OnTheList series, where we feature eats you’ve GOT to have while you’re at Disney! Let us know what’s on YOUR Disney Food Bucket List @DisneyFoodBlog #OnTheList!

If the visions of sugarplums that dance in your head around this time of year are accompanied by any of the caramel treats served at Karamell-Küche in Epcot’s Germany Pavilion, then you’ve gotta check out the Hot Salted Caramel — this year dubbed the Caramel Kiss — that we’re featuring on a special holiday edition of #OnTheList this week!

As you stroll around World Showcase enjoying the music and stories by the Holiday Storytellers, you can also experience the holiday culinary traditions of the countries represented in the Showcase Pavilions.

Germany Holiday Show

Before or after you enjoy listening to Helga share her country’s traditions in the Germany Pavilion (with a little help from her favorite Nutcracker), you should really stop by the Prost! kiosk-stand-Christkindlmarkt-thingy to check out the festive beverages.

Prost! Holiday Drinks Stand

The traditional German drink of warm, spiced Glühwein can be found here. It’s often the star beverage. And while I’m certainly in favor of that, my recommendation is that you consider the other Specialty Beverages, like this year’s Caramel Kiss!

Prost Menu in Epcot’s Germany

Perhaps you’ve heard of Drinking Chocolate… but how about Drinking Caramel? Because THAT’S essentially what the Caramel Kiss is: warm, rich, buttery, melted caramel, custom made for sipping. And while that may sound a little off, I’m asking you to trust me on this one.

Caramel Kiss at Epcot’s Germany Prost! Stand

I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Now, it’s BEYOND rare that I recommend passing by Karamell-Küche, but listen: like Christmas itself, Hot Salted Caramel only comes ‘round once a year at Epcot. Plus, it’s all in the name of celebrating Werther’s Caramel, so I think we’re in the clear 😉 .

After all, it’s the one place where every single item is built around the same awesome ingredient: caramel. Werther’s Caramel, to be specific.

In fact, you can even take a moment or two to check out the wall to your left upon entering the Caramel Kitchen (once you’re past the window, that is). It’s a mural depicting the timeline of the company, which had its start in the German village of Werther. It’s quite the history lesson.

Of course, you probably won’t.

Because if you’re anything like me, you’re going to be entirely distracted by all the choices held inside the bakery case (not to mention the buttery fragrance of caramel wafting through the air)!

Karamell-Kuche bakery case

That bakery case full of caramel goodness is one reason I don’t mind the typically long lines here. It gives me more time to peek over shoulders and heads in front of me to decide what I want. It takes some time! But having sampled just about everything in that case (and some more than a few times — I’m lookin’ at you, Chewy Caramel Shortbread Bar), I decided to go with something I hadn’t tried before.

Or two things, because… well, do you really need a reason why here ;)?

I stopped by the Germany Pavilion recently with the sole intention of grabbing a Chewy Caramel Shortbread Bar, but simply had to take a peek first into that bakery case chock full of golden caramel goodness. And…we found new stuffs!!

So, what’s new at the Caramel Kitchen, you ask?

Among the items that have arrived since my most recent visit were Vanilla and Chocolate Cakeballs, Caramel Gingersnaps, Caramel Bacon Squares (what WHAT?), and Caramel S’mores.

Caramel Gingersnap and Caramel S’more in bakery case

Chocolate Cakeball in bakery case

Caramel Bacon Square next to Caramel and Milk Chocolate in bakery case

Umm… did somebody say “BACON”? Clearly, I altered my order right away to grab a Caramel Bacon Square ;). I asked for a Caramel S’more, too, while I was at it!

With a shortbread base, the sweetness of the gooey caramel, and the buttery shortbread crumbled on top, this treat is sure to please! And now you can make this creation in your own kitchen. Let’s get started…

Caramel Shortbread Bars Recipe

Time for preparation: 10 minutes
Time for cooking: 25 minutes
Number of portions: 24

People have been telling me for months: “Ya gotta try the Caramel Apple Cookie from Karamell-Küche!” Seriously, I’ve been bombarded with suggestions to sample this one and get it on the blog!

But could it really be that fantastic? An oatmeal apple cookie with some caramel drizzled on top?

Caramel Apple Cookie at Karamell-Küche

Yes. Yes it is.

I can tell you that it was absolutely worth the effort and extra trip that I took to Epcot’s Germany Pavilion just to sample it.

The very moist, soft, and HUGE treat had that great, rich buttery flavor — the mark of a truly fantastic oatmeal cookie. While the apple chunks inside were obviously dried, they were plump and flavorful all the same.

Caramel Apple Cookie -- Up Close

The artful drizzle of Werther’s caramel isn’t over the top, but offers a good [Read more…]